Tresillian Village Improvement Group

The Tresillian Village Improvement Group (TVIG for short) is a small band of local residents who have teamed up to encourage interest in the general environment of our historic village.

The dedicated team has already initiated and undertaken a number of projects, which along with involvement by additional volunteers has produced some visually attractive assets for villagers and passers-by alike to enjoy.

If you require further information or are interested in supporting the efforts of the group then please contact:
Helen Nicholson Tel: 01872 520 295.

Kind offers of your of time, sponsorship, donations of money or plants are allways welcome.

The group are very grateful for the support they have received from St. Clement Parish Council; our local Cornwall Councillor, Cllr Mike Eathorne-Gibbons; The Hoskins family at Fentongollan Farm, the Wheel Inn, Truro Audi and the volunteers who have helped to make this all possible.

Read all about the activities and projects carried out by TVIG volunteers and supporters:

Tresillian Village Improvement Group News Reports

TVIG News Reports 2019 – Updated Month by Month

Reflecting on Quiz Night November 2018

The quiz night at the Wheel Inn on 20 November 2018, kindly hosted by Alison and Simon who, again, very generously offered the first prize for the quiz of Sunday lunch for 4 at the Wheel Inn was extremely well supported and was great fun. We are so grateful to Alison and Simon for all their support.

Group 2019 Spring Planning Meeting/Social

The Improvement Group combined their spring planning meeting with a social get-together and meal at the Wheel Inn in February and enjoyed delicious food and hospitality from Simon and Alison which made it a very enjoyable evening.

Britain In Bloom – South West In Bloom 2019

This summer we shall once again be entering South West in Bloom and, taking on board the judges’ comments from last year, there will be an additional planter (currently under construction) at the bottom of Polsue Way. We have also been lucky enough to obtain some redundant planters from Camborne Town Council that will fit onto railings and add more colour through the village. The model of a dog is currently being worked on and this will be placed near to the Contemplative Man. Interestingly, another model of a dog has also been placed there and our thanks go to the anonymous person who has done this. Is it the same person who put the Christmas hat and tinsel on the “man” over the Christmas period? It’s a fascinating mystery!

Great British Spring Clean 2019

The dates for the Great British Spring Clean are 22 March to 23 April and so we have arranged to do the litter pick in Tresillian on Sunday 24 March, meeting at the playing field at 10 a.m. As always, volunteers are most welcome.

As the weather warms up, our group of volunteers will be tidying up the planted areas around the village as well as adding more plants as necessary. We will ask Truro City Parks to plant out the boat and all the planters as they do such an impressive job.

With spring around the corner, this is a timely reminder that we all need to be responsible for weeding the pavements outside our property and also to trim back any hedges overhanging pavements. It’s worth noting that if a hedge overhangs the pavement and causes a nuisance, the Council can come out to cut it back and the householder has to foot their bill.

Support

We would like to thank St Clement Parish Council and our Cornwall Councillor, Mike Eathorne-Gibbons, for all their support which is not only much appreciated but also much needed.

All this work is carried out by a number of regular volunteers but we’d love to welcome new people as many hands do make light work. For example, volunteers on the watering rota only have to do that job three times a year – more volunteers would reduce this further.

Where to find More Information

Please watch out for village improvement events on the village website (tresillianvillage.co.uk) as well as the notice board by Mary’s Pasty Shop – everyone is welcome – and if you have any ideas for further enhancement of our village, or would like to be involved with our group, then please contact Helen Nicholson: helennicholson@resource24.net or telephone on 01872 520295.

Helen Nicholson and Lesley Dobel

TVIG News Reports 2018 – Updated Month by Month

In early December, our group had a very enjoyable social evening at The Wheel Inn to kick off the Christmas festivities and our thanks go to Simon and Alison for their hospitality.

On 13 February, we held our third quiz night at The Wheel Inn, and had a very successful evening, full of good food, fun and laughter as well as having to do a bit of thinking at the varied and interesting questions posted by our inimitable quiz master, Alison. Alison and Simon very kindly donated the prize of a two-course Sunday lunch for four people at The Wheel Inn and we are very grateful to them for their generous support to our group.

Update April 2018 – Alison and Simon have very kindly agreed to host another quiz event at The Wheel Inn on Tuesday 10 April, this time in aid of the Royal Naval Association St Austell Branch, of which some of our group are members, whilst some of the Association have joined the Tresillian Garden Club and have been stalwart supporters of each of the quizzes we have held. The evening will start with food for those who wish to eat at 6.45 p.m. and then the quiz will start at 8.30 p.m. There will be a raffle as well. Do come along to support this event and have a fun evening.

Update May 2018 – Another Quiz Night to raise funds for TVIG will take place later this year.

Now that spring is on its way, our group has been planning the work needed for tidying up and planting. As recommended by last year’s RHS Britain in Bloom judges, one of our members is currently making a couple of planters, one for near Carrs Garage (Audi Dealership) and the other near River View.

Update May 2018 – The two planters have been constructed and are ready to be deployed and planted up. The Audi dealership has very kindly offered a donation of £100 to pay for two seasonal plantings of the planter to be positioned on the grass area to the left of their main entrance.

As soon as the weather warms up, the shrubbery will be pruned and tidied and the verge mowed. The boat will also get the same treatment. The pots in the Memorial Garden will be replanted in June. As soon as the daffodils have finished blooming, then work will begin again on the riverbank clearance. We have had so many compliments about this work as people are loving being able to see the river once more through the trees where the brambles and undergrowth have been cut down.

Update May 2018 – The riverbank undergrowth has been cut back and tamed to make the river view look more pleasant.

A litter pick is to be held on Saturday 3 March at 10 a.m volunteers welcome!

Update March 2018 – Although delayed by one week, due to atrocious weather, the March litter pick was finally successfully carried out.

We are intending to enter the Southwest in Bloom competition again this year, 2018.

Update May 2018 – Having once again applied to take part in the RHS South West in Bloom Village Pennant category, we hope to improve on last year’s Silver award. Judging will take place in July, with results announced later in the year.

Update August 2018 – Tresillian in Bloom 2018 – The Year Long Build Up

The judging for this year’s Tresillian Village entry for RHS South West in Bloom ‘Village Pennant’ category took place on 10th July 2018. The judges this year were Rod Pooley and Lesley Jelleyman.

Although the judges inspection visit takes a mere couple of hours, there are many hundreds of hours spent by the Tresillian Village Improvement Group (TVIG) members and others throughout the year leading up to judging day.

This is the third year that the TVIG has entered the RHS South West in Bloom Competition, having previously been awarded ‘Outstanding’ in 2016 at the basic ‘Neighbourhood’ category and ‘Silver’ in 2017 when first attempting the next level ‘Village Pennant’ category. This year, the ‘Village Pennant’ category was again entered with the aim of improving on last year’s award.

To herald the increased endeavours in respect of Britain in Bloom, Cllr Keith Littlejohns has designed a logo specifically for what now seems to have become a regular annual challenge.

Looking back at the origins of the TVIG’s work in the village and specifically the legacy that people enjoy when passing by the grass verges alongside the A390. The magnificent display of daffodils each spring is reminder of what can be achieved by a group of ordinary villagers intent on improving the environment of the village.

The floral boat at the western gateway to the village and the island shrub bed at the eastern gateway are other examples of what can be achieved. Regular planting for the boat and the two new roadside wooden planters is undertaken by Truro City Council Parks department staff. There is a cost for the supply of plants and planting which has to be paid for by funds raised at quiz nights and cream teas plus donations from those generous enough to support TVIG activities. In the above photo two parks department staff are planting up the floral boat in June this year.

Two new wooden roadside planters were added to the mix of village improvement projects this year. They were paid for by a grant from St Clement Parish Council and constructed by village resident Richard Bratton. As previously mentioned, planting was carried out by Truro City Council Parks department staff.

The island shrub bed is now maturing into a really nice feature at the eastern gateway end of the village and is regularly horticulturally maintained by TVIG members and other volunteers in the village throughout the year as with other planted areas.

Another feature of volunteer work in the village is, sadly, regular litter picks to tidy up known hotspots where some people leave rubbish around for other people to clean up their detritus. In the above photo a group of volunteers embark on one of their regular sessions of litter picking.

Attending to planting at the war memorial in the Playing field is another project which is included in the volunteers calendar. The work is focused on general maintenance and tidying up throughout the year, but with special attention paid around the time of remembrance day.

Another new village feature for 2018 is ‘Contemplative Man’, a black painted wooden silhouette positioned on the river bank midway through the village. This was an idea from TVIG volunteer member John Dobel and was constructed at his home in the village. Paul George gave valuable help by transporting the solid concrete base used to anchor the piece of installation art in situ.

Of special mention this year on the Tresillian allotment site is a young teenage girl who has taken her keen interest in gardening to the point where she has, with her parents and siblings taken on an allotment plot. Although only 14, Gwen is very much the head gardener of the family and is using her allotment as project work for her bronze Duke of Edinburgh. The RHS judges were very impressed and it is well known that the RHS is campaigning for more young people to become interested in horticulture and is actively giving support through various channels. The main photo above is a general view of the allotments, and the inset taken on Gwen’s allotment, with Gwen in the centre of her family group.

A regular part of the itinerary when escorting the judges around the village is the wishing well tucked away in a shady corner of the open space also occupied by the playing field. The wishing well, placed there in 2007 by the Playing Field Committee, is now looked after for planting and regular maintenance throughout the year by local resident May Carpenter and her family.

The Wheel Inn is also a regular stop for the judges, not for liquid hospitality though but to admire their floral display and the general amenity that the Inn and its open space provides for the village. Landlords Simon and Alison organise their own hanging baskets and planters through a commercial supplier in north Cornwall.

Among various recent projects supported and funded by St Clement Parish Council is a new information notice board at the official village information point lay-by towards the western end of the village. This new board replaces two old ones that were in a poor state and not salvageable. The inset photo above shows the two old boards that have now been removed – not to scale.

Lorraine Sutton and Cllr Keith Littlejohns escorted the judges around the village. Photo Left: L-R Lorraine Sutton, judge Lesley Jelleyman and Judge Rod Pooley. Photo Right: L-R Cllr Keith Littlejohns, Lorraine Sutton and Judge Lesley Jelleyman.

The RHS will announce the awards later in the year in October. Fingers crossed!

The Tresillian Village Improvement Group would like to thank the many volunteers and supporters who have made a phenomenal contribution to the general environment of the village and made it a better place in which to live.

Please look for notices of upcoming projects and fundraising events organised by the group, many of which you will find on this website.

Support is vital, either physical or financial. Anyone is welcome to participate in the various projects undertaken during the year, no special skills are required and you would not be expected to necessarily get involved with every single one. The more people there are to share the work, the less each person has to do and the TVIG crew really are a friendly bunch of people to work with. Financial support is also welcome, and if you have any ideas for fundraising, please let us know. Call Helen Nicholson on 01872 520 295 or email her at helennicholson@resource24.net.

Report by Cllr Keith Littlejohns

Update October 2018 – Tresillian Village Awarded Silver Pennant in the 2018 RHS South West in Bloom Competition

The Tresillian Village Improvement Group (TVIG) are pleased to announce that our village has again been awarded a prestigious ‘Silver Pennant’ award.

The year-long process was described in our original article earlier this year. As part of this process the TVIG have to submit a portfolio to the RHS Judges in addition to their site visit for judging.

The TVIG NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT. It’s your village, and as a resident of Tresillian you can help to improve the general environment of your village. By joining in with the various projects being undertaken each year and/or financial support to help pay for the plants and materials that have to be purchased all helps to bring those projects to life.

Enjoy an evening out at the Wheel Inn and help support the TVIG efforts at the same time. On November 20th, 2018 the Wheel Inn will host a Quiz Night the proceeds of which will go to funding TVIG projects for 2019.

If you can offer even a little of your spare time it would be much appreciated. The contact numbers are on the dedicated TVIG page on this website.

Here’s looking forward to another great year of village improvements in 2019.

Cllr Keith Littlejohns

Please look out for village improvement events on the village website, tresillianvillage.co.uk (or simply subscribe on the websitesite for News Alerts), as well as the notice board by the Post Office – everyone is welcome – and if you have any ideas for further enhancement of our village, or would like to be involved with our group, then please contact Helen Nicholson : helennicholson@resource24.net or telephone on 01872 520295.

Helen Nicholson and Lesley Dobel

TVIG News Report – October 2017 Tresillian Village Improvement Group Awarded ‘Silver Pennant’

The Tresillian Village Improvement Group (TVIG) is pleased to announce that it has recently been awarded ‘Silver Pennant’ by South West in Bloom with the Royal Horticultural Society in the 2017 Main Competition’s ‘Village Pennant’ class.

Last year the TVIG entered ‘Britain in Bloom’ at the basic ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ level, where an award of Outstanding was given.

Given the higher standard expected at the Village Pennant class, the Silver award is a very good start and it is hoped to improve upon this next year.

Although judging is dependent on adhering to a strict set of criteria, the judges offer much good advice in their summing up to encourage entrants to build on their achievements, so as to climb to higher levels.

The following is the introductory remarks from the judges mentioned in their Marking and Feedback sheet:

“Tresillian is a very elongated village situated on the busy A390 just 3 miles from the City of Truro. It has a fantastic array of wildlife as a river winds itself through the picturesque village.

It is always great to welcome a first-time entry and considering the massive step-up from entering a local competition they can be very proud of what has been achieved and with just a bit more attention to detail/judging criteria it will see them shooting up through the levels of awards.”

Mentoring is also something that is made available, particularly to new entrants, and the TVIG would like to give thanks to experienced Britain in Bloom judge Peter Kessell, of Truro City Council Parks department for his time in giving post-award guidance to assist the group in its preparations for next year’s competition.

The Tresillian Village Improvement Group would also like to thank the many volunteers that turn out to help and support the various schemes and events that led to this award being given.

There are several ideas under discussion for next year’s village improvement projects. As a result, the TVIG would very much like to hear from individuals and businesses who are able to offer a little of their time or financial support to help keep our village environment looking clean, tidy and attractive for us all to enjoy. Contact details for the TVIG can be found on this link.

Keith Littlejohns

TVIG News Report – October 2016 – Daffodil Planting

More than fourteen volunteers took part in a mass daffodil planting along the village’s A390 grass verges over two Sunday’s in October, the 23rd and 30th. Some 5,000 daffodil bulbs were planted during the two days, bringing the total planted in recent years by the Tresillian Village Improvement Group to 23,000, which, of course, will naturally multiply over time.

All Photos: © Keith Littlejohns

TVIG News Report – October 2016 – South West in Bloom 2016 ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood Award’

The Tresillian Village Improvement Group has recently been awarded the top level of ‘Outstanding’ by the Royal Horticultural Society and South West in Bloom at a Britain in Bloom award ceremony held on 6th October 2016 at The County Cricket Ground, Taunton, Somerset.

Lorrie Eathorne-Gibbons, wife of local Cornwall Cllr. Mike Eathorne-Gibbons’, picked up the award certificate on behalf of the TVIG. Mike complimented the group saying “ Very well done to all concerned. I am delighted you have achieved such a spectacular result.”

The South West in Bloom assessor took into consideration schemes such as the planting of many thousands of daffodil bulbs along the A390 grass verge, the village ‘Clean for The Queen’ litter picking, the Tresillian Village Open Gardens event and our village allotment site.
The Royal Horticultural Society’s It’s Your Neighbourhood campaign is part of the wider Britain in Bloom initiative, providing an opportunity for smaller community groups to get involved.

It’s Your Neighbourhood is a unique scheme for volunteered community gardening projects/groups which are focused on cleaning up and greening up their local area, whether that is the estate where they live or the back alley they share or the local community centre’s outdoor space. It’s Your Neighbourhood is an inclusive, non-competitive scheme which welcomes projects/groups of all kinds.

Following the assessors’ visit, certificates of achievement are presented to all participating groups at annual award ceremonies organised by the Regions/ Nations in Bloom.

The RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood campaign has five levels of achievement in bands from 0 to 100 points:
Level 1 Establishing 0-35
Level 2 Improving 36-52
Level 3 Developing 53-68
Level 4 Thriving 69-85
Level 5 Outstanding 86-100

The Tresillian Village Improvement Group would like to thank the many volunteers that turn out to help and support the various schemes and events that led to this award being given.

TVIG News Report – August 2016 – Tresillian’s Latest Area of Wildflowers is Blooming

Earlier this year wildflower seeds were sown by the Tresillian Village Improvement Group on a section of roadside on the A390 close to the new cycle/walkway bridge at Trevalla Stream.

The area to be sown was carefully prepared by raking over before sowing followed by walking purposefully over the broadcast seeds to ensure close contact wth the soil as an aid to germination. Due to the dry conditions at the time a good soaking was essential followed by similar regular watering for a number of weeks afterwards during a prolonged period of relatively low rainfall. Happily, the seeds not only germinated exceptionally well but the resulting plants are now fully in bloom and looking healthy. It is hoped that some of the plants will go on to set seed for the following year.

Roadside wildflowers on the A390 close to the new cycle/walkway bridge at Trevalla Stream. All Photos: © Keith Littlejohns

TVIG News Report – Sunday 12th June 2016 from 3pm to 5pm, A village cream tea party to celebrate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 90th Birthday

Despite dubious looking weather at the start of the day the gloom and clouds eventually dissipated with the sun coming out of hiding just at the right moment, and thankfully staying with us throughout the length outdoor event.

The setting could not have been more appropriate. Situated beside the Tresillian River on a grassy bank behind the thatched Wheel Inn, that is reputed to have its origins as long ago as the 14th century, lent a sense of atmosphere that would be difficult to equal.

It was estimated that over 80 people of all ages attended the celebration during the two hours enjoying delicious cream teas and cakes for sale which were generously made and donated by a number of villagers. The large amount of visitors surprised the organisers, the Tresillian Village Improvement Group, and beat all their expectations.

The highlight of the afternoon took place when two senior lady residents of the village, Margaret Maycock (93 years) and Beryl Vickary (90 years this year) jointly cut the magnificent, towering special 90th birthday celebration cake made by Jackie Goodway. Rev. Canon Linda Barley said grace, led the singing of the national anthem and thanked everyone for attending the event as well as organisers and helpers for making it all happen.

During the proceedings a raffle was held to also raise funds for the various village improvement schemes that brighten up the roadside verges and war memorial. Overall, the total sum of money raised during the afternoon was almost £280, with an expenditure of £45 for jam and cream this then left approximately £235 remaining.

Video slideshow follows:

Tresillian Village celebration for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 90th Birthday. Photos: © Keith Littlejohns. Music: Master of the Feast © Kevin MacLeod. (Last photo in the sequence: Left: Margaret Maycock (93 years), Right: Beryl Vickary (90 years this year, 2016).

The event was supported by the Tresillian Village Improvement Group, the Wheel Inn and the Tresillian Garden Centre

TVIG News Report – 12th March 2016 Tresillian Village ‘Clean For The Queen’

22 volunteers turned out for the ‘Clean for the Queen’ village tidy-up on Saturday 12 March 2016. The 15 large bags of assorted rubbish collected contained mainly plastic drinks bottles, glass drinks bottles and aluminium drinks cans plus a variety of sweet wrappers and other assorted discarded rubbish. Lesley Dobel has produced a full report that can be downloaded here as an Adobe Acrobat file.

Tresillian’s Flower Boat also received the clean-up treatment, and is now looking in ‘ship shape and Bristol fashion’ pristine condition. Photo: © Malcolm James

Tresillian Village Improvement Group Projects

The boat was donated by the late Hugh Buchanan and the multi-award winning Truro City Parks Department carried out the planting. The various shrubs surrounding the boat were donated by residents of the village.

Work has also been undertaken at the eastern approach to the village using an assortment of plants that were purchased and/or donated by residents.

23,000 daffodils now adorn the long grass verges in springtime alongside the A390 as it winds its way through the village.